Valve for hydrants



(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' S. W. LEWIS.

VALVE FOR HYDRANTS.

No. 306,086.- PatentedOct. 7, 1884.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. W. LEWIS.

VALVE FOR HYDRANTS.

No. 306,086. Patented Oct. '7, 1884.

2 .ITOI'RZ .dltornnys WITNESSES ZQ Q.

UNITED STATES SAMUEL W. LEWIS, O

VALVE FOR F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

HYDRANTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 306,086, dated October7, 1884.

Application tiled August 28, 1882. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Hydrants,Fire- Plugs, Street-Washers, &c., of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to improve upon the floating or buoyantduplex or auxiliary valve described in Letters Patent No. 192,379,granted to me June 26, 1877, in which patent said valveis shown asconsisting, preferably,of some buoyant material or of a closed airtightcylinder, and provided at its upper end with a ground seat or bearing;but practical experience has demonstrated that in many cases the valvewill operate more satisfactory if firmly and securely guided to itsseat, and be more cheaply constructed if its lower end is left open orconcave underneath, whereby the inflowing current of water may strikethe bottom or concave surface, or pass directly into the body or shell,and thus insure the prompt and effective action of the duplex orauxiliary valve without the aid of a spring or any other appliance, andwholly and entirely by the action or force of the inflowing currentalone, thus enabling me to make said stopvalve of a greater specificgravity than water, as hereinafter more fully described, and pointed outin the claims.

Heretofore to overcome the natural gravity of auxiliary stop-valves madeof metal it has always been found necessary to elevate them to theirseats by some special device, which complicates the apparatus,interferes with the flow of water, increases the cost, and makes themmore liable to accident, in which case the hydrant has to be dug up forrepair; and my object is to provide an auxiliary valve that willautomatically close with the current or flow to its seat, where thepressure of water against it will hold it until forced open again by themain or upper valve.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is an axial section of the base of ahydrant provided with one form of my improved auxiliary or duplex valve,the hydrant being shown in the open position. Fig. 2 is a similarsection, but showing a modified form of valve applied to a somewhatdifferent construction of hydrant,

the latter being shown in the closed position. Figs. 3 and 4 representother modifications of my improved auxiliary valve. Figs. 5 and 6, Sheet2, represent further modifications in the details of construction.

The hydrant-base A consists of a-casting of any suitable size or shape,and is provided with a customary inlet, B. Screwed'or otherwise appliedto this base is the valve-chamber O of the upper or main valve, saidchamber having at its lower end a suitable seat, G, for the auxiliaryvalve to close against, as hereinafter more fully described, and alsohaving one or more wasteways, D D. Adapted to traverse the chamber C isa piston, H, or main controlling-valve of the hydrant, which, for thepurpose of illustration, is shownas substantially the same as describedin my patent previously alluded to.

Playing vertically within a chamber, I, or in a suitable attachment ornoncorrosive bushing of the same, and so arranged as to be properlyguided to its seat, is my improved auxiliary valve J, which is shown asopen or concave at bottom, but closed at top, its upper end being soground or shaped at K as to bear or close tightly against the seat Gwhen occasion may require.

In Fig.1 valve J is shown pierced with a series of ports or slots L.

N is an enlargement at the upper end of chamber I, and Ois an annularledge or shoulder at the lower end of the same, said shoulder serving asa seat or rest for the auxiliary or duplex valve when'the latter is inits normal or inactive position.

P is abarrier or curtain that deflects the current of water into thelower end of chain ber I, and thence up against the bottom of or intovalve J. If desired, the curtain 1? may be dispensed with, and the inletlocated in the bottom of base A immediately beneath valve J.

As represented in Figs. 1 and 2, the auxiliary valve J is shown asprovided with an upwardly-projecting guide-stem, It, the flutes orgrooves of which serve as channels to permit the ascent of water whenthe hydrant is open. This fluted stem is guided within the neck orpassage U of chamber 0, for the purpose of more securely and firmlyseating the auxiliary valve J when the upper or main valve is withdrawn;or the valve J may be guided by a similar stem projecting from beneath,or by fluted or Winged stems both above and be neath, (as in an ordinarycheck valve, as shown in Fig. 5.) When the hydrant is closed, the valveJ, relieved from the current or flow of water, gravitates to its normalposition and rests on the shoulder but the moment the upper or mainvalve is opened, the current of water, striking the bottom or concavesurface of auxiliary valve J, carries it up as high as may be desired.As seen in Fig. 1, the stroke of the upper or main valve is justsufficient to allow a free and uninterrupted flow of water up through oraround valve J, and thence up the flutes or other passages of guide-stemR,

r and finally out through the pipe to which the .from the main or uppervalve. .Fig. 4 the auxiliary valve is shown with a crowning top to entera concave seat of simiupper valve is attached.

When the upper or main valve is sufficiently elevated or withdrawn,either for inspection or repair, the valve J is automatically lifted bythe inflowing current alone and forced up against the seat G, therebyshutting off the flow of water without using a stop-cock in the branchpipe that communicates with the streetmain.

In the modification shown at Fig. 2 the ports L are omitted and the flowof water takes place up channels S S in the chamber I as soon as valveJascends far enough to 1111- cover the lower ends of said channels, orthe chamber I may be so enlarged as to afford sufficient area orcapacity around valve J for the free flow of water upward, as shown inFigs. 5 and 6.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the valve J is shown as guided by the stem R alone. InFig. 3 it is slotted instead of perforated, and is shown as depressed orguided by a stem depending Finally, in

lar form in the lower end of chamber 0. I do not limit myself to theprecise length, form, or shape of valve J, as shown, for from the abovedescription it is evident the advantages of my invention will beobtained by any construction of duplex or auxiliary stop-valve that isproperly guided,or thatis open or concave at bottom but closed at top,or that can be closed against a seat by the force of the current ofwater flowing against it. Finally, said valve may be applied tohydrants, streetwashers, fire-plugs, or similar devices that closeeither with or against the pressure, or that have hollow movingwater-ways or solid valve rods or stems.

I am aware that hydrants have been pro posed having a main valve and theauxiliary valve of greater specific gravity than water, the two valvesbeing united telescopically or bytelescopic connections in such mannerthat when the main valve was raised the auxiliary valve would be raisedto itsseat by frictional contact of the telescopic parts, but theconstruction is such that in no other manner could the auxiliary valvebe raised or carried up to its seat. This is not my invention, and I donot claim the same.

The distinguishing features between my invention and the constructionabove referred to are that I do away with any connection between theauxiliary and main valve for the purpose of carrying the former to itsseat,and make use solely of the pressure of the inflowing current ofwater, as fully described.

I claim as my invention 1. In a hydrant, the combination, with the maincontrolling-valve, of 'an auxiliary stopvalve of a greater specificgravity than water, and located between said main valve and source ofwater-supply in'such manner that when said main valve is withdrawn saidstopvalve is carried and forced to its seat by the pressure of wateralone, and which, when said main valve is restored to working position,is unse'ated to permit the passage of water.

2. In combination with the upper or main controlling-valve of a hydrant,the auxiliary stop-valve J, open or concave at bottom but closed at top,said auxiliary valve being automatically lifted to its seat or closedwholly IOO hydrant and being elevated by a current of water flowing intosaid hollow valve when the hydrant is opened, substantially as hereindescribed.

5. In a hydrant, the combination, with an auxiliary stop-valve of agreater specific gravity than water, and actuated by the pressure ofwater alone, of a guide-stem, for the purpose specified.

6. The hollow or concave shaped auxiliary stop-valve J K R, incombination with a hydrant provided with chamber I, seat G, and shoulder0, said valve being depressed by the closure of the hydrant, and beingelevated wholly and entirely by the inflowing current of water when themain or upper valve is opened or elevated, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL V. LEWIS.

